Abstract

Events with a large rapidity gap in deep inelastic scattering with Q2 ≥ 10 GeV2 have been studied in the ZEUS detector. The properties of these events with W > 140 GeV are consistent with a leading twist diffractive production mechanism. In the laboratory frame, with ETjet ≥ 4 GeV, 15% of the events are of the 1-jet type with negligible 2-jet production. The single jet is back-to-back in azimuth with the scattered electron. No energy flow is observed between the jet and the proton direction. With a lower jet transverse energy cut 2-jet production is observed both in the laboratory and the γ∗ p centre-of-mass systems, demonstrating the presence of hard scattering in the virtual photon proton interactions that give rise to large rapidity gap events.

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